Stars Stuff: Dallas' power play, stars of the game versus Pittsburgh, unsung heroes, and Heiskanen's shooting
A quick one for today.
The Stars are back in the hunt for the top spot. With 10 games remaining, and some pretty easy competition ahead, there’s no reason why they can’t eventually win the President’s Trophy. They’re one point behind a Vancouver team that I stand by as a team that’s more dangerous than elite, and behind Colorado only on regulation wins.
Calling what’s going on in the West “a race” does that word a disservice. It’s more like that cheese rolling competition in Britain. If Dallas nabs first in the entire West, they likely get to play Vegas or LA in the first round. If they win the Central, they likely play Nashville. Unless the Predators keep up their insane pace (more on them tomorrow) and catch Winnipeg, which would be something of a plot twist; except to Stars fans familiar with how these Bowness teams tend to finish. Regardless, there’s no universe where the Stars aren’t locked in mortal combat from the get-go.
However, if this is the team to do it, it shouldn’t matter. Dallas has looked closer to that team with the recent play of Jake Oettinger. Granted, I don’t think a string of games erases his season-long struggles. Anyone skeptical of his turnaround should be. But for my money, his game versus Arizona was the best he’s looked all year. “But it’s Arizona—” I know. But players like Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, and Lawson Crouse are plenty dangerous, and Oettinger looked calm, steady, and sharp. Just saying.
What does this all lead up to? The hope is that a better Oettinger solves all this team’s problems. That’s a strong assumption. But as always, Dallas will have to contend with the fact that they aren’t the only great team in the West.
Stars power play versus Arizona
In the month of March, Dallas is 1st in expected goals for per hour on the man advantage. They’ve been fine. That to me, is the most important takeaway from the Arizona game. In terms of shot attempts, shots on net, and shot quality, the Stars are a top three power play team on the man advantage. It may not have seemed like that last night, but they’re doing what power plays need to do in order to be sustainably successful: they’re getting the chances.
To me the real argument against the Stars power play is that they should be better. They’re the second best offense in the league, and they have the eighth-best power play. That’s somewhat reductive as a criticism, but I think their top unit is just carrying too many inferior options. Harley over Heiskanen, Stankoven over Pavelski (that’ll draw some ire, I know), and Johnston over Benn: now we’re cooking.
Even if you don’t agree with that lineup, the broader point is that if your top unit plays the most minutes, it should be the superior lineup. And by a yardstick. Dallas has enough depth that this might be nitpicking, but I’d rather have one dominant unit play more minutes than two good units equally distributed.
Miro Heiskanen’s slapshot
I made a fool of myself on Sunday, complaining about Miro Heiskanen taking too many slapshots. So of course he takes a booming slapshot that becomes the game winner.
I stand by my criticism, though. I want to see Heiskanen develop more weapons in his arsenal. I love the concept of skill development at the NHL level. It’s something that should be given a lot more focus than perfunctory systems learning. Because it’s Twitter, anything I say has to come without caveats, subtext, and whatever else allows me and others to engage with thoughts beyond the Right vs. Wrong spectrum of social medial performance.
And no, I’m not salty about getting the smoke (Stars fans being Interstellar fans is another story). You have my permission. My point there was that Heiskanen’s slapshot broadly hasn’t yielded a lot of results. Heiskanen is a creature of movement. Passing and shot selection looked like corerstones of his game. Taking a slapshot takes away those traits. That doesn’t mean they can’t coexist. But I’m not big on watching him take slapshots while Hintz and Robertson are options along his flanks. Not until proven otherwise.
Speaking of.
One goal via slapshot on the power play amidst a lot of misses and saves. So yea. I love the development. But I just want to see it better integrated.
Three-star prediction
Stack readers and myself made predictions for three Stars of the game before the Penguins contest. I said Hintz, Steel, and Bunting. The official three stars were Benn, Robertson, and Steel. One for three, which is meh, but interestingly, nobody else got a one. Harley, Oettinger, Letang, Karlsson, and Duchene were the other guesses. Also, that was a weird game.
Miscellaneous
Obviously, we can talk all day about Logan Stankoven and Wyatt Johnston, and their unique net front presence. And it was good to see Tyler Seguin get back on board. But one of the players I find myself watching just as carefully as the big stars is Chris Tanev. He’s had a few adventures here and there, but he’s been mostly impressive. His passing is super underrated, less because he’s a gifted puck handler, and more because of his timing. His movement is just as advertised, and his play will be crucial in the playoffs.
It was a curious announcement this off-season when we heard Miro was working so hard on a slap shot… right as the league has generally ,over away from the blueline clapper as it’s become rather ineffective or at least inefficient. I would argue the goal last night is the exception that proves the rule that the slap has been less impactful than his wrister.
Never been a fan of the Slap Shot from the point . Prefer a good wrister that can be deflected and pinball in front of the net ( See John Klingberg )